5 Players Who Have Mastered the Art of Dribbling

Many soccer players work hard on their dribbling skills because watching a fantastic dribbler is one of the most entertaining parts of the sports. Whether a player is able to beat a defender one-on-one, or if they make a long run from midfield to the opposing goal, it’s just an amazing spectacle to see an elusive dribbler at work.

It is important to differentiate the “best” dribblers from those who are just flashy or quick. The best dribblers in the world are the ones who have great control over where the ball is going while also making great decisions with it at their feet (How to Train on Your Own) .

Below you will find five players who are great all-around soccer players who also just happen to be excellent dribblers.

Lionel Messi

On top of being a great finisher, Lionel Messi is considered by many to be the best dribbler in the world. The reason for that is because he is one of the most efficient dribblers of all time, rarely turning the ball over no matter how many defenders surround him.

Messi is also willing to dribble at players regardless of where he is on the field. If he sees any type of opening that will increase his team’s chances of scoring a goal, you can be sure that he will dribble right through that opening.

Alexis Sanchez

Alexis Sanchez uses his dribbling skills the least out of all of the players on this list, but that does not mean that he isn’t great with the ball at his feet. When given the chance, the Arsenal winger will take on any defender if he sees a chance to either score or get the ball into the box for his teammates.

The other thing that makes Sanchez a bit different than other dribblers on this list is that he uses his strength as a weapon when he has the ball. This allows him to be closer to defenders when he needs to beat them because he knows he can just brush them off when he makes his move.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Since back in his Manchester United days, Cristiano Ronaldo has long been seen as one of the top dribblers around. After joining Real Madrid, though, he stopped trying to be overly flashy with the ball at his feet and now only makes risky moves when his team needs him to step up.

One thing that has always helped Ronaldo as a dribbler is his deceptive speed. Sure, he can make the ball do whatever he wants it to do, but his ability to kick the ball forward and beat just about any defender down the field is what gives him a huge advantage. Most defenders simply want to keep him from doing tricks to beat them, but they don’t expect him to be able to easily run past them when he wants to.

Neymar

Well before he joined Barcelona from Santos in 2013, Neymar was known for getting by just about any defender who attempted to stop him. He had quite a bit of work to do on other aspects of his game back then, but soccer fans all over the world could see just how talented the young winger was with the ball at his feet.

The 24-year-old Brazilian now is seen as one of the very best players in the sport, and it seems like his dribbling has only gotten better. He is still as quick as he ever was, but what makes him an amazing dribbler now is his decision making when he has the ball. He seems to get a step on anyone who steps in front of him, and it can often seem unfair.

Douglas Costa

Douglas Costa is probably the least popular player on this list, but he may just be the most entertaining dribbler out of these five. The Bayern Munich winger uses just about every trick in the book to work his way past opposing players, and his pace makes it so he can get by them in the blink of an eye.

There are a lot of players who attempt flashy moves at the top levels of soccer, but Douglas Costa actually completes those moves and helps his team in doing so. He’s no one-trick pony, either, as he is also recognized as being one of the top crossers of the ball by many soccer experts.